Topic: U.S. Census 2010 & ACS

Summary of a Workshop on the American Community Survey
On June 28, 2011, the Population Reference Bureau and the Annie E. Casey Foundation co-hosted a workshop to discuss opportunities and challenges presented by the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), with a particular focus on the five-year ACS estimates. (August 2011)

First Results From the 2010 Census
Reports on America: First Results From the 2010 Census summarizes key findings from the first wave of data from the 2010 U.S. Census. The report starts by discussing trends in U.S. population growth, followed by the changing racial/ethnic characteristics of the population, and patterns of state and local population growth and decline. (July 2011)

The U.S. Decennial Census and the American Community Survey: Looking Back and Looking Ahead
On March 24, 2011, the U.S. Census Bureau released the final 2010 Census redistricting data files for each state that will be used to redraw federal, state, and local legislative districts. Although the 2010 Census data are still new, the Census Bureau has already started evaluating the data and planning for the next decennial census in 2020. As part of PRB's Policy Seminar series, Robert Groves, director of the U.S. Census Bureau, and Frank Vitrano, associate director for the 2020 Census, discussed the quality of the 2010 Census, the future of the American Community Survey, and early plans for the 2020 Census. (April 2011)

Better Data, Better Decisions: How the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey Benefits Business and Government
American industries rely on good data to make targeted, wise investments. These economic, demographic and social data are largely derived from the American Community Survey (ACS). On March 7, 2011, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, in cooperation with U.S. Sens. Joseph Lieberman and Kay Bailey Hutchison, and Reps. Danny K. Davis and Carolyn Maloney, sponsored two congressional briefings on the importance of the ACS for business and government. Congressional staff heard presentations from private sector and government leaders about the importance of ACS data. PRB also produced a fact sheet that provides answers to common questions about the ACS and how the data are used by Congress, federal agencies, businesses, and state and local governments. (March 2011)

2010 U.S. Census Data Machine Springs Into Action
On Feb. 3, 2011, the U.S. Census Bureau released the first detailed demographic data for states and local areas from the 2010 Census. Racial and ethnic characteristics of the total and voting-age populations were released for geographic areas down to the city block level. Four states were included in this initial release: Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia. (February 2011)

2010 Census Counts Nearly 309 Million Americans
The first results from the 2010 Census are in, and the U.S. population stands at 308,745,538. That represents 27.3 million more people than in 2000, or 9.7 percent increase in the U.S. population. The number of people added to the population between 2000 and 2010 was lower than it was during the 1990s (32.7 million), and the percent change was the lowest since the 1930s. Population growth continued to shift to the South and West, while the Northeast and Midwest lagged far behind. The District of Columbia, which had lost population during the 1990s, grew 5 percent—the first increase since the 1940s. (December 2010)

PRB Webinar on Understanding and Using 5-Year Estimates from the ACS
New five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey create many new opportunities as well as challenges for data users. In this PRB webinar—delivered to the Annie E. Casey Foundation's KIDS COUNT Network—Mark Mather, associate vice president of Domestic Programs at PRB discusses what to expect from the new estimates and offers some practical guidelines for working with the data. (December 2010)

U.S. Census Bureau Online Mapping Tool Helps Communities Prepare for 2010 Census
The U.S. Census Bureau has launched an online mapping tool that allows communities nationwide to prepare for the 2010 Census by seeing how well they did mailing back their 2000 Census forms. Visitors to the new Google-based map will be able to find the 2000 Census mail participation rates for states, counties and cities, as well as smaller areas called "census tracts." (February 2010)

The American Community Survey: Statement of Linda Jacobsen Before Joint Economic Committee, U.S. Congress
Statement of Linda Jacobsen, vice president, Domestic Programs at PRB, before the Joint Economic Committee, U.S. Congress, on "The Federal Statistical System in the 21st Century: The Role of the Census Bureau." (July 2009)

How the 2010 Census is Different
The 2010 Census will enumerate the resident population of the United States as of April 1, 2010. The census will include everyone living in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. People will be counted at their usual place of residence on April 1, 2010. (April 2009)